This invention relates to improved orally utilizable compositions such as chewing gum having a flavor with good initial strength and which flavor is controllably released (under the hydrolytic conditions of the human mouth cavity) at a consistently high level over an extended period of time; to processes for preparing such orally utilizable compositions; to flavor compositions useful in preparing same and to processes for preparing such specially useful flavoring compositions.
The term "orally utilizable compositions" includes such materials as chewing gum, chewable medicinal tablets such as chewable vitamin tablets, chewing tobacco and toothpaste.
There has been considerable work performed relating to orally utilizable substances such as chewing gum, chewable medicinal tablets, chewing tobacco and toothpaste whereby such orally utilizable substances have a flavor impact both initially and over an extended period of time. Problems have arisen in attempting to create such orally utilizable compositions wherein part of the flavor is available for immediate results whereas another part provides the effect of such flavor gradually over extended periods of time. Such problems include the continuous distribution of "initial impact" and "extended release" flavor over the entire mass of the orally utilizable composition as well as commercial manufacture of same.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,526,039, for example, teaches that if an essential oil or flavoring is combined with chewing gum base in a finely divided condition, and the particles of the flavoring or oil are encased in a suitable covering so as not to contact directly the gum during manufacture, the deleterious effect of the flavoring on the gum is prevented or largely reduced. It is further stated therein that:
"When the emulsion is added to the gum base, it is thoroughly mixed therewith by the usual means employed for mixing the flavoring material with such base.
The production of the emulsion serves to break up the essential oil into fine particles and to encase these particles in the emulsifying material, so that when the emulsion is added to the gum mass, the essential oil to a large degree is prevented from coming into direct contact with the base, and from having deleterious action thereon."
U.S. Pat. No. 2,886,440 teaches a method of preparing a chewing gum characterized by "extended flavor perception time, true flavor character, and high degree of flavor release comprising the steps of forming spray-dried emulsion of a volatile, water-immiscible flavoring agent encapsulated within finely divided particles of gelatin, and substantially uniformly distributing said gelatin encapsulated flavoring agent within an all-enveloping mass of a chewable gum base". The use of separate "fixed" and "unfixed" flavor portions is also taught but there is no disclosure therein of the principal of this invention, to wit, mixing the fixed and unfixed flavor portions with a suspension agent prior to adding to the chewing gum base.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,886,446 teaches a chewing gum comprising (i) smaller particles of gelatin characterized by faster liberation of flavor and (ii) larger particles of gelatin characterized by slower liberation of flavor, each of the gelatin particles containing dispersed there-within, in dried emulsion form, discrete micro-droplets of a volatile water-immiscible flavoring agent, and an all-enveloping mass of a chewable gum base within which the particles are substantially uniformly distributed whereby the flavor is released substantially evenly and uniformly over the extended chewing time.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,886,445 teaches that:
"It is possible to obtain a flavoring composition, particularly adapted for use in chewing gum which permits attainment of a product characterized by extended flavor preception time, true flavor character, and release of a large proportion of flavoring agent. This flavoring composition comprises finely divided particles of a dried hardened gelatin emulsion containing discrete micro-droplets of a volatile, water-immiscible flavoring agent. Preparation of the flavoring composition of this invention may be effected by encapsulating discrete micro-droplets of volatile, water-immiscible flavoring agent within finely divided particles of a dried emulsion of hardened gelatin."
U.S. Pat. No. 2,886,449 teaches:
"A chewing gum containing a flavoring composition characterized by an extended flavor perception time, true flavor character, controlled release of a large portion of flavoring agent, and reduction in amount of flavor oil required (which) may be prepared by the process comprising forming a gelatin-coacervated flavor, and substantially uniformly distributing said gelatin-coacervated flavor within an all-enveloping mass of a chewable gum base. The product chewing gum comprises . . . finely divided particles of coacervated gelatin containing a water-immiscible flavoring agent therewithin and an all-enveloping mass of a chewing gum base within which the particles are substantially distributed."
The utilization of sustained released flavor containing capsules in such materials as chewing gum and medicinal tablets is also taught in British Patent No. 1,205,764.
The use of sustained release flavor capsules in conjunction with polyethylene glycols (which are taught to be employed to disolventize the capsules) is set forth in British Patent No. 1,318,799.
Furthermore, described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,920,849 may be either chewing gum compositions, chewable medicinal tablets, chewing tobacco or toothpaste having an oral intake, a high flavor intensity release substantially evenly and uniformly, over an extended oral utilization time in the mouth cavity; the orally utilizable compositions containing a non-confined flavor oil, a flavor oil which is physically entrapped in solid particles and a suspending agent such as silica, xanthan gum and ethyl cellulose; the non-confined flavor oil, the entrapped oil and the suspension agent being premixed prior to addition to either of the chewing gum base, the chewing tobacco or the chewable medicinal tablet base or the toothpaste base.
U.S Pat. No. 4,259,355 issued on Mar. 31, 1981 discloses orally utilizable compositions which may be either chewing gum compositions, chewable medicinal tablets, chewing tobacco or toothpaste having an oral intake, a high flavor intensity release substantially evenly and uniformly over an extended oral utilization time in the mouth cavity; the orally utilizable compositions containing a non-confined flavor oil, a flavor oil which is physically entrapped in solid particles and a suspending agent which is hydroxypropyl cellulose; the nonconfined flavor oil, the entrapped flavor oil and the suspension agent being premixed prior to addition to either of the chewing gum base, the chewing tobacco or the chewable medicinal tablet base or to the toothpaste base.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,588 issued on Jul. 10, 1990 discloses a controlled release powder containing discrete micro-particles for use in edible, pharmaceutical and other controlled release compositions. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,588 the micro-particles have a average size in the range of from 0.1 to 125 milli microns; and each of the micro-particles is in the form of a micromatrix of an active ingredient uniformly distributed in at least one non-toxic polymer. The micro-particles of U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,588 have a predetermined release of active ingredient when the dissolution rate thereof is measured according to the Paddle Method of U.S. Pharmacopoeia XX at 37.degree. C. and 75 rpm.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,963,369 issued on Oct. 16, 1990 discloses a chewing gum comprising a chewing gum base having dispersed therein plural populations of water-insoluble polymeric beads having microporous passages impregnated with a flavoring agent, each population of beads being coated with a coating material having a solubility in water different from the coating in other populations. U.S. Pat. No. 4,963,369 also discloses a method of making such a chewing gum with controlled-release flavoring comprising the steps of:
(i) providing a chewing gum base;
(ii) dispersing within a chewing gum base a first population of water-insoluble polymeric beads having microporous passages impregnated with a flavoring agent, and wherein said beads are coated with a coating material having a desired solubility in water; and
(iii) dispersing within the chewing gum base a second population of water-insoluble polymeric beads having microporous passages impregnated with a flavoring agent, which solubility is different from that of the coating material used on said first population of beads to thereby provide a release rate of the active ingredients from the first population of beads.
PCT Published Application 90/08478 published on Aug. 9, 1990 (corresponding to U.S. Application Ser. No. 306,924 filed on Feb. 6, 1989) also discloses a food product that contains porous polymeric beads impregnated with flavoring components and a method of making such a food product.
More specifically, PCT Application 90/00461 discloses a food product having dispersed in it water-insoluble porous polymeric beads that have microporous passages in them and impregnated with one or more food flavorings containing volatile substances.
PCT Published Application 90/00461 also discloses that the beads can be coated with water-soluble coatings to entrap the flavorings in the beads until the beads are exposed to water. Alternatively, the beads of PCT Application 90/00461 can be coated with a coating that melts when heated so that the flavoring will not be released until the food is heated.
Nothing in the prior art however, sets forth the unobvious, advantageous chewing gum composition and flavor-containing particles useful in such chewing gum composition of our invention.